


Found

by flippantninny



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 21:31:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2165889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippantninny/pseuds/flippantninny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One word prompt for 'Found'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found

It seemed crazy, in hindsight, that he’d spent so long searching for Beth, focusing every thought on where she could be and who could have taken her, and he’d never lost faith that he would find her, she’d taught him that, never give up. He’d been focused on nothing but the search Beth for months, yet he’d never taken a single second to contemplate what he’d say when she was found.

And now he was stood there, staring at her like an idiot, waiting for her to say something or for his brain to turn back on and for him to say something, and all he really wanted to do was collapse, because in four months he hadn’t had a single moment of relaxation. Even when he was asleep he wasn’t really relaxed. And now she was here and he could breath. He could breath, but apparently he couldn’t talk.

"Daryl?" She said. He’d almost forgotten how soft her voice was. Almost.

He took a step forward, about to speak, not sure what he was going to say, when brown hair came flying past him, Maggie, suddenly there, pulling Beth into a hug. A hug, why hadn’t he thought to do that? He’d been searching for her for 4 months, she was finally found, and now he was thinking about sleep? What was wrong with him?

Suddenly everyone was there, Glenn’s arms around the Greene sisters, Rick’s hand on Daryl’s shoulder, Carl running forward to hug Beth, Carol holding Judith, Judith crying for Beth. Everyone crying for Beth.

Beth looked overwhelmed. She looked as tired as Daryl felt, but she was smiling anyway, hugging everyone.

Daryl wanted to join in, to hug her as well, but his feet wouldn’t cooperate. His eyelids were drooping, he could have fallen asleep standing right there.

"You okay?" Carol said, she was stood next to him. When had she gotten there, last he remembered Rick was stood next to him and Carol was holding Judith, now it was the other way around.

“‘M just tired,” he said.

It was starting to get dark out, which definitely wasn’t helping his ability to stay awake. Someone had started a fire and he guessed his feet could work after all, because he’d managed to walk back to camp. Beth was sitting by the fire, listening to Maggie telling stories about Terminus and their 4 new friends and everything that had happened to them in the last 4 months, and Daryl’s determined search for her.

"I’m not surprised," Carol said, "you should get some sleep, you can relax now."

Daryl grunted a reply.

"But go talk to Beth first, you can’t spend all that time looking for her and not even acknowledge her when you find her." He wanted to talk to her, he did, but he was just so tired. Months of determination and focus and now it was all over. She was found.

Beth was sitting by the fire, still listening to Maggie. Glenn had joined them. Daryl’s feet had stopped working again, he would have probably just stood there all night, staring from a distance or sleeping while standing, but Carol gave him a little push and an encouraging “go on” and that, apparently, was all he needed to walk over and sit down next to the small blonde. But he still didn’t know what to say.

"Daryl," she said, shifting in her seat to face him, cutting off Maggie mid-sentence.

And then her head was against his chest, her arms around him.

He held her, waiting for her to move away, but she didn’t. Was she snoring?

"Is she asleep?" Glenn said, an amused smile on his face.

Glenn looked at Daryl for an answer, expecting his usually awkwardness, waiting for Daryl to push her away. Glenn didn’t even think Daryl hugged people, let along let people sleep against him. But there they were, Beth’s cheek on his chest, Daryl’s chin on her head, each other’s arms around each other.

The only response Glenn got was a snore.

Daryl was asleep too.


End file.
